Not only are Menicon's new flat pack daily disposable contact lenses thin enough to stash in a wallet, but they're also made with specially developed materials to keep the lenses clean while you put them on.

To reduce the volume of a standard disposable contact lens case by about forty percent, Menicon secures them between two specially designed foil sheets so the lenses float loosely. Not only does it make the packaging considerably thinner, but it also allows for custom printed graphics on both sides. The flat pack has also been engineered so that when opened the outer surface of the lens is always exposed first, allowing them to be picked up without a user's fingers contaminating the inner surface with bacteria or dirt. They'll be available in Japan starting next April for around $40 for 30 packs, and will also be the first lenses to be made from 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate-Glycerol Methacrylate. A material that doesn't sound like the best thing to stick in your eye, but actually has water molecule attracting properties that keep the lenses moist for longer periods. [Menicon via Fareastgizmos]